Observation by Dawson: Mercury's sodium tail

Uploaded by

Dawson

Observer

Dawson

Observed

2025 Mar 12 - 18:41

Uploaded

2025 Jul 08 - 09:42

Objects

Mercury

Equipment

WO Megrez 72
0.8x reducer
ASI ZWO 585MC

Exposure

10 x 45 second exposures

Location

Nottingham

Target name

Mercury's sodium tail

Title

Mercury's sodium tail

About this image

From the March observing window. Eight days after perihelion. This cropped image shows the tail length to measure 24.8 arcminutes (though it continues off the sensor) which equates to a true tail length of 970,187 km. TAA 50 degrees, radial velocity 7.7 km/s. Full report in the Mercury and Venus Section's Messenger Newsletter, June 2025.

Files associated with this observation

Wednesday120325ss.png (763.1 kB)

Like this image

Callum Potter, Ian Jarrett

Copyright of all images and other observations submitted to the BAA remains with the owner of the work. Reproduction of work by third parties is expressly forbidden without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting images to this online gallery, you grant the BAA permission to reproduce them in any of our publications.

Registered charity no. 210769
Registered company no. 117572

For more information including contact details, click here.

Our Terms of Use are here.

Our Privacy Policy is here.